Former Police Officer Found Guilty of Systematic £13,500 Fraud
A former Midlands police officer has been convicted of fraud after stealing more than £13,000 from his own staff association to finance a lavish lifestyle of luxury holidays and personal indulgences. Jamie Harrison, who served as treasurer and secretary for the West Mercia Police Federation, systematically abused his position of trust over an eight-year period.
Systematic Theft from Colleagues' Funds
Harrison had exclusive control over the Federation's petty cash, with responsibility for safeguarding the financial interests of fellow officers. Instead of fulfilling this duty, he made over 100 fraudulent claims, repeatedly dipping into the fund to pay for family vacations, alcohol, and personal entertainment. He deliberately kept individual claims just under £100 to avoid triggering scrutiny procedures.
The 55-year-old from Worcester Road, Droitwich, even exploited National Police Memorial Days—events intended to honor officers killed in the line of duty—as opportunities to take his wife and children on family holidays at the Federation's expense. The family stayed in four and five-star hotels across York, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and London, with Harrison fraudulently claiming accommodation, meals, and day trip costs from his colleagues' contributions.
Falsified Records and Additional Deceptions
Text message evidence revealed Harrison took days off to watch rugby matches abroad, including trips to Italy and Ireland, and spent time working on his allotment while his official timesheets falsely recorded him as working full shifts. He also received salary payments for days when he was not actually at work, compounding his fraudulent activities.
At Hereford Crown Court, Harrison was convicted of 15 counts of fraud by abuse of position, with the total value of his theft amounting to approximately £13,500. He was cleared of one count, while the jury failed to reach a verdict on a final count. Harrison had resigned from West Mercia Police in February 2022 prior to the court proceedings.
Betrayal of Trust and Public Service Values
Detective Superintendent Tony Garner of West Mercia Police stated: "Jamie Harrison chose to act for himself. He took advantage of his position as treasurer and secretary within the Police Federation to use members' funds for his own gain. This was a betrayal of the trust placed in him by both the public and his colleagues."
Victoria Norman, unit head for the Crown Prosecution Service's Serious Economic Organised and International Directorate, emphasized: "As a police officer and Federation treasurer, Harrison was in a position of considerable trust and was expected to act with honesty and integrity. Instead, he exploited his control over WMPF's finances for personal gain and behaved in a thoroughly dishonest way throughout his tenure."
Norman added: "Harrison displayed an extremely cavalier attitude to being caught, dipping into petty cash at will, claiming expenses far beyond what was reasonable and falsifying timesheets. His entitled and dishonest behavior ran counter to everything he should have stood for as a public servant."
The case has been adjourned for sentencing until Wednesday, March 25, at Worcester Crown Court, where Harrison will face the consequences of his systematic betrayal of colleagues who trusted their subscription funds would be used appropriately.
